Machine for opening envelops.



E. J. SCOTT.

MACHINE FOR OPENING EN'VELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED Jun 2. 1913.

1,143,919. Patented June 2-2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Epfin'am J Scott E. J. SCOTT.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATIUN FILED JULY 2. l9l3.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f bh'aan 7 50012 EPHBIAM J. 860131, 01 PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND.

MACHINE FOB OPENING ENVELOPS.

Specification of Letters Intent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application flied July 2, 1918. Serial No. 776,918.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ermuam J. Soon, a citizenof the United States, and resident of the city of Providence, in thecounty of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Machines for- Opening Envelops, of whichthe following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to machines for opening envelops and has for itsobject to provide a machine of this character which is provided with apair of rotary cutters, and means for feeding envelops to said cutterswhereby a small portion of the edge of the envelop is removed to exposeits contents.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of feed rolls anda pair of independent guide rolls the latter being located approximatelyopposite the cutters for engaging, feeding and guiding the envelop whileit is being operated upon by said cutters.

A further object of the invention is to set one roll of each pair at anangle to the axis of its mate whereby the envelop is held lirmly inposition against its guide while being operated upon by the cutter.

The invention further consists in pro viding a table with a guideflange, and means for a liusting said tableand flange longitudinally toregulate the amount that shall be cut from the edge of the envelop.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improved letter openercoupled to, to be driven by an electric motor. Fig. 2is a frontelevation of the machine with the easing partly broken away and insection to better illustrate the operating mechanism. Fig. 3is a detailillustrating one of the guide rolls mounted on the pivotally hung gearcasing. Fig. 4-is a plan view showing a portion of the casing in sectionto better illu trate the mechanism. Fig. 5--is a sectional elevationfrom the left end of the machine showing the relation of the cutters andguide rolls. Fig. 6is a perspective view of the table in detail. Fig.7-is a detail illustrating one of the feed rolls as mounted on a pivotedarm.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates while being operated upon byupon the base p'ortion 12.

A table 13 is arranged to extend across the front of the casing, thesame being provided with arms 14 and 15. The arm 14 is preferablyrigidly secured to the side of the casing by screws 16-16 while the armis retained in the desired position by means of screws 17 which passthrough longitudinal slots 18 in said arm.

A cam 19 is supported in position on the pivot screw 20 to engage saidarm and is provided with a lever 21 having a handle 22 whereby when itis desired to move the table in or out, that is from or toward thecutters, it is only necessary to turn, or swing the handle from oneposition to another for the purpose hereinafter described. The in neredge of this table is turned upward, as at 23, see Figs. 4 and 6,roviding a flange which serves as a guide r the envelops in beingcarried across the table and acted upon by the knives.

A pair of complemental conical cutters 24 and 25 are arranged to meetand overlap each other through the opening 33 in the table, and aremounted on shafts 26 and 27 in bearings 26 and 27 respectively, anddriven by the intermeshing gears 28 and 29 through the pinion 30 andshaft 31 by the motor 32.

A lower feed roll 34 is mounted on the shaft 35 supported in the fixedbearing 35 on the arm 44 and is driven from the shaft 27 by the pulleys36 and 37 and belt 38. An upper feed roll 39 is mounted on the arm 40and is pivoted at 41 to the bearing support 42, see Fig. 5. An aperture52 in the table permits the roll 34 to contact with the envelops whenfed thereover. This upper feed roll has an axis set on an angle to thatof its mate or complemental roll below and is mounted to rotate freelyon the pivot screw 43. A tension is applied to this roll by spring so asto bite the envelop between it and the driver 34 to feed the same.

It is found in practice that a single set of rolls is not suflicient tofeed and guide the envelops accurately through the machine the cutters,therefore I have provided another set of and fixed to rolls which serve,in addition to assisting the envelops, to also guide the same and holdthem accurately in position while being operated upon so that a cut of auniform width will be taken. The lower or driving roll 46 of this setis. mounted on the end of the cutter shaft 27 and the upper roll 47 ofthis pair is loosely mounted on the .screw 48 which is threaded into thehub 49 on the casing 50, which is designed to cover and protect theupper cutter 2-1. This casing is pivotally connected to the frame on thescrew 51 whereby the same with its roll may raise or lower andaccommodate itself to envelops of different thicknesses. The axis ofthis upper roll, like that of roll 39, is set on an angle to itscomplemental roll or mate, whereby the envelop is carried backward orinward and held against the guide while passing through the machine. The0 ening 33 in the table is large enough so that in addition topermitting the cutters to meet therethrough the periphery of the roll 46may extend therethi'ough to engage the underside of the enve op.

In the operation of my improved machine the envelops a to be opened areplaced in a pile on the left end of the table 13 where by a simplemovement of the hand of the operator they are advanced and engaged bythe feed rolls 34 and 39 and fed forward to be acted upon by the cutterswhich remove a very small portion or strip of the folded edge of theenvelop but not enough to possibly cut into the contents thereof.

It is found in practice that with a single set of feed rolls the cuttaken through the envelop is apt to be uneven or not uniform, that is,the forward portion of the envelop has a tendency to work outward and insome cases prevent the cutters from cutting the envelop. To obviate thisdifliculty I have mounted an auxiliary set of rolls opposite the cutterswhich rolls serve to hold the envelops firmly back against the guidewhile passing through the machine.

The table on which the envelops rest is supported on arms 14 and 15which are more or less resilient or yieldable and when it is desired toobtain a deeper cut or to cut more from the edge of the envelop, thelever 17 is thrown over backward or to the rear of the machine wherebyits cam-shaped hub carries the arm 15, and consequently the guide flange23, backward and causes the arm 14 to spring slightly, thus permitting awider edge on the envelop to be presented to the cutters. claim:

1. In an envelop opening machine, a sup porting table, a air of rotarycutters, a pair of envelop fgeding and guiding rolls mountedsubstantially opposite said cutters to support the work while beingacted upon thereby, and means for rotating said cutters and rolls. A

2. In an envelop opening machine, a su porting table, a 'pair of rotarycutters, I of envelop feeding and guiding rolls mounted substantiallyopposite said cutters, to support the work while being acted uponthereby the axis of one of said rolls being set on an angle to that ofthe other of the pair and means for driving both cutters and one of saidrolls.

3. In a machine for opening envelops, a pair of rotary cutters, a set offeed rolls, mounted substantially opposite said cutter, a set of guiderolls, the axis of one of each of said sets of rolls being set on anangle to that of its mate, means for driving both set, and a table overwhich the envelops to be opened are fed by said rolls.

n a machine for opening envelops, a pair of rotary cutters, a set offeed rolls, mounted substantially opposite said cutters, a set of guiderolls, the axis of one of each being set on an angle to for driving bothof said rolls in each set,'a table over which the envelops to be openedare fed by said rolls, and means whereby one roll of each set isadjustable to feed letters of different thicknesses. v

5. In a machine for opening envelops, a pair of driven rotary cutters, apair of feed rolls, mounted substantially opposite said cutters, a pairof independent guide rolls, means for driving one roll of each set, theaxis of one of said rolls being set on an angle, a table for supportingthe envelops while being cut, a guide flange on said table back of saidcutters, and means for adjusting said table and guide to regulate theamount to be cut.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'EPHRIAM J. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLOW, E. I. OGDEN.

